A Little EmptyHeaded
by Momosportif
Summary: GaiShizu! 3 chpts, just a little hooking up story! They need lots of love! Enjoy and comment if the urge attacks you from behind as you backpedal through pages... Kishomoto's characters of course. Smile!
1. A Little EmptyHeaded

A Little Empty-Headed

Heeled, slender feet padded down the street in Konoha's rosy dusk. The town was falling asleep and few people were out on the road. It wasn't lonely, but cozily isolated, comforting to the closed black eyes and tired hands clutching the paper bags filled with groceries. She raised her lids, delicate brows knotted in slight pain and general weariness._ Tsk. Tsunade-sama always warned you about doing this. Too much chakra. And you didn't even have breakfast. _

The isolation shattered when a figure, striding hurriedly, came into view a few yards down the road. As he neared she recognized him.

_Neji's sensei? Oh yes, he must be going to see if he's-_

"Hello there!!! Hey! You're a medic-nin, right? You wouldn't h- Are you okay? Hey!"

_I was afraid this would happen... _

She felt her muscles stop responding to her will to stand up, her knees buckled, her head was spinning with obscure thoughts.

_I have to get home to Tsunade-sama. I have to. Right now. She needs these. She… Tonton's still outside. She needs food. She-_

"Aah," she wilted into a heap, falling to her knees and then forward, groceries scattering around her. But she never hit the ground.

* * *

"Mmm." She stirred. What happened? Where was she? She looked around.

_The hospital? I thought I left here an hour ago. Why am I in a bed?_

"Oh. Glad to see you're awake, Shizune."

"Genma? What's going on? Why am I here again? What happened? Wh-"

"You don't remember?"

"Remember wha-"

"You fainted," he shot her a slightly reprimanding look. You over-exerted yourself in the healing, _again."_

"I-"

"And I bet you didn't have breakfast either."

She looked a way from the now full on scolding glare of his tawny eyes. Yes, of course, she remembered now. She'd been walking home and then-

"You nearly gave us all a heart attack when Maito Gai came in carrying you. I thought you'd been mugged or something."

"Maito Gai? Is that his name?"

"Yeah. Green spandex. Orange leg warmers. Wears his headband as a belt. Bowl cut. Has a little mini-clone who's his student. Strange guy, but he's decent enough. Little empty-headed though. You were two blocks from your house and twenty from the hospital but he brought you back here instead. Go figure."

Shizune looked at the white, boring ceiling and glared at it, partly in thought and partly because she now fully understood why patients always wanted out.

"Maito Gai, " she said slowly.

"Yeah, that's right. Guess I'll yet you rest a bit and walk you home later." Genma left, turning off the light.

"Maito Gai, " she whispered to the dark. "Maito Gai."


	2. Civic Duty

Civic Duty

She couldn't believe she'd done this. She was so inept in this kind of communication. All communication. With men. Men who weren't her friends anyways. She could talk freely to Genma. Until lately. Maybe this would quell her obsessions. If only he would answer. Maybe the knock had been too soft. She tried again, hand shaking the whole time. Then noises. She felt sick. _Tsunade-sama __told__ me I couldn't do this. She knew I'd be too-_

"Hello. Oh, hi. Um, are you looking for Neji?" Gai blinked at her, stepping aside, inviting her in.

"Uh, um, no. No thank you. I just wanted to thank you for, uh, for, um-"

"Oh that," he smiled. She squirmed. "It was but a mere and insufficient deed for a noble lady of the medical persuasion, a deed unworthy of thanks. It was more of my civic duty."

_What is he doing?_ Gai went through some classic overzealous moves culminating in a thumbs-up followed by a bow.

"If ever you require a greater service, lovely healer-"

"Yes." _Oh dear, I said that out loud didn't I?_ She blubbered, searching for words. "Yes, I do require a service." Blush. "I want you to take me somewhere-"

"Anywhere in the world, you name it!"

"-on a date." She blushed, studying her hands. It was his turn to collapse. But they both hit the ground.


	3. A Caring Person

A Caring Person

"Are you sure you can do this alone?"

"Yes, sensei, he is right: this is a dangerous venture. Would my presence assist-"

"No, Lee. This is something I have to do by myself. I just have to go in and…" _And what? What am I going to say?_

"Yes, sensei?"

"Well, you know, Lee…"

"I do not, sensei. Please tell me."

"Well, um…"

"Yes?"

"We're here Gai," Ninkame stared up, looking stern as usual. "We'll be waiting out here to rush you home when-"

"Thank you, Ninkame!" Gai gave a slight bow to the tortoise. "Take care of Lee."

"As always."

"Lee…" They teared up.

"Y-yes, sensei?"

"Just… just take care of yourself, okay?" Lee sobbed,

"Yes, sensei!"

"Don't cry, Lee!" Gai sobbed.

"Yes, sensei!" They both sniffed and wiped their eyes.

"I'll be back!" Thumbs up.

"Yes, sensei!"

"What are you doing?" The door had been thrown open behind Gai. "Were you ever going to knock or were you just going to stand there shouting at each other?"

"I-"

"Come in."

"Squeal, whine." Gai gave Lee a last sad little wave before Tsunade shut the door, looking him up and down with Tonton as he blew his (rather large) nose on a (… green) handkerchief. She sighed. _I don't know what you see in him, but…_

"Gai!!!"

_Oh lord hok-_

"Oh, you came!!! Oh, I'm so glad!"

_Oh, Shizune don't… I can't watch. _She hugged him. _Oh, you didn't, Shizune, you didn't…_ He flailed in utter panic. She was oblivious.

"I thought you weren't going to come!" He somehow composed himself by the time she looked up, beaming.

"Well I did _promise_…"

"Oh, come in, come in! Sit down! Was it a long walk? It's a hot day! Do you want something to drink?"

_Of course he does, dear, but you're not going to give him a chance…_ "Come on, Tonton. Let's go outside. I don't want to be here for this."

"Squeal." Tonton walked through her door and Tsunade, after some self-debate, ran to get her (empty) gambling money jar and (practically empty) purse.

* * *

"How has your day been? Are your pupils okay? How's Neji? The other two are Tenten and Lee, right? Did you say you wanted a drink or not? Are you comfortable? Can I-"

"Shizune!"

"Oh, dear, I'm babbling, aren't I?" She blushed furiously and messed with her sleeves. "It's just that… well when… I'm just so excited! I- You do like me alright, right? I'm not terribly annoying am I? I don't always-"

"Shizune. _Please_ sit down." She sat promptly, eyes wide and searching. He sighed. "I… Well I like you a lot, Shi-"

"Oh, no… I thought this might happen." She looked crushed. "It was the babbling, wasn't it?"

"No! I really do like you, it's just… How do I say this? You… you can do better than me. I'm… strange. I'd be bad for you, Shizune. I-"

"Gai, Gai, Gai, no! No! No!" She shook her head. "No! Gai… you're not…" He smiled slightly. "strange in a _bad_ way. You're different. You… you're a caring person. That's what I need. That's what I… want. A caring person." Without his noticing, she had leaned across the table and grabbed his hands. He looked aghast at his captured hands and then up into her giant eyes, inches from his own and getting closer. Some instinct took over and he stopped panicking. Fractions of inches, and then he remembered Lee.

"I have to go!" He stood up, coughing awkwardly at her shocked expression. "Bye now!" He made a beeline for the door, and closed it before he could hear her small "Good-bye". But she smiled.

_He likes me._ She flipped back on the couch. _Likes me…_

* * *

"Sensei! How did it go? Did you inform her of your opinion?"

"Yes, Lee," he stroked his chin, "and, no." He walked off humming, leaving Lee to stare at an aloof and exasperated Ninkame.

"Let's not get behind, Lee."


End file.
